Disability, Impairment, and Care: An Analysis of Trauma Patterns from Bezławki, Medieval Prussia

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The bioarchaeological analysis of trauma in skeletal remains provides insights into the lives and lifestyles of past populations. Conventionally, such analysis has focused on military-aged males, with less attention paid to other demographic groups. The late-medieval cemetery site at Bezławki, Poland, provides an opportunity for a relatively broad analysis across an adult skeletal sample (n=57). The site stems from an era of complex social and environmental transformation following the 13th-century Prussian Crusades. Therefore, in addition to observing trauma across age groups, we were able to explore relationships between observed patterns of traumatic injuries and colonization and religious conversion in the area. We analyzed both craniofacial and post-cranial skeletal elements for evidence of trauma and general indicators of activity patterns, health, and lifestyle. While few instances of trauma were observed among the Bezławki sample, we present case studies of traumatic injuries that may have resulted in impairment or disability. Drawing on the bioarchaeology of care, we present interpretations as to how traumatic injuries may have been attended to in medieval Bezławki. Findings are indicative of both physiological stress and resilience among members of the Bezławki population.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 36907.0